


Swing!

by CommanderCryptic



Series: The World's Misadventures: 2020 edition [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 2020, 2020 US Presidential Election, 2021, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drama, Family, Fluff, Gen, Politics, Realistic, Riots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27391954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommanderCryptic/pseuds/CommanderCryptic
Summary: It's finally November. The 2020 U.S. presidential election has arrived. Alfred watches the event convene with anticipation. The well-being of his citizens depends on this, or at least for the next four years.The citizens of America are left with a choice.It's a choice to make.A chance to take.But whose trust will break?
Relationships: England/France (Hetalia)
Series: The World's Misadventures: 2020 edition [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060109
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	1. Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you're reading this, there's a strong possibility that you're coming here from one of my other works: Welcome to World Academy. Thank you for stopping by, I hope you like this!  
> First, let me clear something up: I will not express any political opinions here. Inspiration to write this struck me during History class today, so I decided, why not?  
> Anyway, enjoy the story! Remember to stay safe and healthy!  
> If you'd like me to continue this, drop a message in my inbox. I'd be happy to do it if people like it :)

Alfred felt as though he had been staring at the TV screen for days. The bright letters and numbers and colours managed to burn their way right into his skull. A half-empty can of soda sat in his left hand, with its contents having lost its fizz hours ago. His phone was clutched in his right hand, seemingly glued onto the skin of his palm. 

This was a choice. “YouChoose2020” is what it was dubbed. It was a choice, alright. A choice for America to make. 

But he  _ was  _ America. A human personification of America, to be more specific. Every country on the planet had one. England had Arthur, Canada had Matthew, France had Francis. 

And America had him. Alfred F. Jones. The hero. 

But nobody knew. Nobody except for those within the proper government rankings to be allowed such classified information as the existence of these nation-people. 

Things have been especially hard on all of them. The pandemic had reportedly started in Wuhan at the end of December in 2019. Alfred (along with Feliciano, Francis, Matthew, Antonio, and Gilbert) had thrown a huge New Year’s Celebration in New York City. It was one of the most exciting nights of the year, alive with anticipation of the year to come. 2020, the new decade. 

And with a new decade came new problems. Alfred should have known there was something off when Yao refused to attend the party. 

Now, about eleven months later. The virus had spread, marking a global pandemic. The Italies had taken a massive hit from it at the beginning, but the new lifestyle took a little more getting used to as it appeared. 

The U.S. had the most number of reported cases so far, followed by India, Brazil, and Russia. Alfred was devastated. How could he allow things to get so bad? The citizens—his citizens were suffering. Dying. All because he couldn’t be more careful. While the immortal personifications themselves were at no risk to the disease, their people were. And if their people were hurting, they were hurting too. 

Leadership was necessary. Good leadership. 

And it all came down to this. 

The United States Presidential Election, 2020. The two competitors leaning on either side of the political spectrum had a very fiery debate in September. It was almost like watching a reality TV show, except there was so much more at stake. 

Whoever got elected into office would influence the well-being of America’s citizens, whether it be for the worse or the better. 

Currently, Alfred was watching a news station describe the current status of the election. 

“As you can see, we’ve got a spread of blue in the New England area. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey are all confirmed wins for Biden,” said the news anchor, a middle-aged woman wearing a navy blue dress and bright red lipstick. “However, if you look at Pennsylvania, it’s too early to call definite results, but we have a lead for Trump.” 

Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada were all swing states in this election. People were placing most of their attention towards Nevada, which was leaning blue. 

“And regarding the senate, so far, the seats are—”

The lady was cut off, and the screen went black. 

Alfred whipped his head around. Standing behind the couch was a mirror image of him—well, almost. 

“Al, you’re getting  _ way  _ too stressed out over this,” Matthew commented, sitting down next to his brother. 

Alfred pouted. “Of course I am! This is the fate of my people, Matt! My country! What’s gonna happen for the next four years… it depends on this!” He gestured to the TV screen, only to realize that it had since been switched off and then pulled away. 

“Remember the reason you came here in the first place?” 

_ He has a point.  _

Shortly after placing his own vote, Alfred had hopped the American-Canadian border to stay at Matthew’s place in Ottawa. The stress of being in the capital during the election period was crushing, so the decision was made for the sake of his own mental health. A decision that he was now beginning to doubt

“Yeah… I guess,” was all Alfred could really think to say. 

Matthew nodded sympathetically. The administration between 2016 and 2020 hadn’t been very well-received by the majority of Americans. Patriotism was growing increasingly scarce, even on the 4th of July. 

Now, people wanted change. But would it happen?

They were yet to find out. 

“Did you call Arthur? He rang about half an hour ago. Said he wanted to talk,” Matthew said. 

Alfred shook his head. “Not yet. Matt, I dunno if I’m really up for a conversation right now.” He offered a weak laugh to hide his anxiety. “Knowing that old man, he’d probably just lecture me about how irresponsible I’m being by leaving D.C.” He placed three fingers on top of each eyebrow, mimicking the Englishman’s bushy ones. “ _ You twat _ !  _ I thought I raised you better than this _ !  _ You’re the United bloody States of America, and you’re taking a vacation during one of the most important times of the year _ ?!” 

Matthew began to laugh uncontrollably at Alfred’s imitation of Arthur’s British accent, as well as his impression which was surprisingly convincing. “Like father like son, I guess.” 

Alfred crossed his arms over his chest, feigning offense. “I’m nothing like him! For starters, I’m not a bitter limey who has a stick up his ass 24-7.” 

Matthew’s giggles slowed until they came to a complete stop. “You can say that again.” 

Alfred opened his mouth to say something else (which was guaranteed to be another offensive remark about Arthur) but was interrupted by the noisy ringing of Matthew’s cellphone. 

“ _ Alo _ ?” Matthew waited for a few seconds and then received a response from the other end of the line. “Ah— _ Salut _ ,  _ papa _ ! .... _ vraiment _ ?  _ Oui, mais...  _ Okay.” He put the phone on speaker mode and placed it between himself and Alfred. “Francis wants to speak to you.”

Alfred couldn’t help but get a little suspicious. What exactly did Francis want to speak to him about? A new international location for a lingerie company in New York? 

“Hey, dude!” 

“ _ Bonjour _ !  _ Alors _ , how are you holding up right now?”

Alfred thought for a moment. How was he holding up? It’s not like he could just stroll down the hall to ask the president for a comprehensive economic report. Not that he needed one. It was pretty clear to see that nobody’s economy was striving at the moment. 

“Alright, I guess.”

Francis sounded taken aback, gasping theatrically. “ _ Alright _ ?! Where is your enthusiasm today,  _ Amerique _ ?” Alfred imagined if they were talking face-to-face, Francis would be striking a dramatic, woeful, pose, one typically reserved for soap opera actresses. “But I’m under the impression that you have escaped to Canada for the time being,  _ non _ ?”

“I didn’t escape! I just needed to get away from all the tension. Besides, the area white house is  _ swarming  _ with press right now. Couldn’t risk being discovered!” 

Social distancing be damned, the journalists and reporters were all fighting tooth and nail for exclusive interviews from the capital. Alfred wanted to be as far away from it all as possible. 

“ _ Je sais.  _ Matthieu told me that  _ Angleterre  _ has been trying to get in contact, too.”

“Mhmm.” 

“Did you pick up?”

“Nope. Didn’t feel like it.”

Alfred felt a bittersweet tingle down his spine. He missed Arthur. They hadn’t seen each other since around February or so. Overseas travel was becoming increasingly harder as the pandemic continued rising. Suddenly, his excuse of “I didn’t feel like it” felt flimsy and weak. 

“ _ Allez _ ! I’m sure  _ Angleterre  _ is desperately wanting to speak with you, right now. After all, it’s not like he has many other friends to talk to.”

Classic Francis. He and Arthur had a love-hate relationship, with Arthur providing most of the hate. Even if they were just bickering, the two spent a lot of time with each other. At least, they were friends, no matter how much they denied it. One could argue that there was something else between them, but that was still a disputed topic. 

“Yeah. I guess so.”

“See! I just solved another one of the world’s problems. Big brother France is always ready to help! Ohonhon~”

Alfred cut off Francis by hanging up. 

Matthew gave him an odd look. 

“What?”

“Are you actually going to talk to him?”

“No.”

_ Yes. Yes, I am.  _

Alfred got up from the couch for the first time that evening and left for his room. Once the door was shut, he scrolled through his contacts to find one.

The phone rang once. Twice. Thrice. Finally, a voice could be heard from the other end. 

“America?”

“It’s me. But… today, I’m not America.” He thought about the election that was still going on, as well as the thousands of other problems piling up on the world. “I’m just Alfred.”

Arthur chuckled. “Alright, then,  _ just Alfred.  _ Why were you being such an arse and not picking up the phone, hm?”

“I.. don’t know. I was just distracted,” Alfred admitted. 

“By the election?”

“By the election.”

“Well… the choice is in America’s hands. Whatever happens, happens.”

“Yeah. It’s… it’s a choice to make.” 


	2. Whatever Happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, uh, this wasn't expected. 
> 
> A reviewer on FF.net asked that I include a part about Alfred's perspective of Biden's win, so I thought, 
> 
> Why not put the new chapter here too?  
> Again, I hope I did an okay job at staying neutral when it came to politics. This is just a fanwork about countries personified as hot anime characters, so I'd really rather not delve into that kind of stuff. 
> 
> Also, I've been reading some of the reviews/comments and I noticed that a lot of you are going through some stress right now because of the election. To those people, just try not to let this situation consume your entire mind. Remember to take care of yourself, both physically and mentally! After all, whatever happens, happens. Right? :)

“Al. Al, wake up.”

Alfred woke up to the sound of his brother's voice dripping with urgency. He felt a headache blooming on the side of his skull. Was it the stress?

“Ngh… okay, hold on.” Alfred sat up from the bed and began searching for his glasses. After looking for a few seconds, he found them laying on a nearby throw pillow. The maple-leaf embellishment on said pillow instigated a nauseous feeling in his stomach. 

_The election’s going to end, soon. I need to be back at D.C. when that happens, at the very least. Also, the inauguration... There are only 74 days left._

It was almost like there was a countdown timer inside of Alfred’s brain, ticking down every millisecond until—

Until what? 

Until something else went wrong?

Many people truly believed that the globe was near the brink of starting World War III in 2019. Who’s to say that it couldn’t happen? Who’s to say that it _wouldn’t_ happen?

Alfred shoved the glasses onto his face, glad that his environment no longer looked like a blurry haze. 

Matthew looked on-edge. 

“Come to the living room. You need to see this,” the Canadian ordered. 

Alfred scratched his head. 

_See what?_

The cold feeling of anxiety numbed his heart. 

_Did North Korea send their nukes? Is Iran planning to wage war? What is it?!_

“Wha… what happened?” 

Alfred threw the covers to the side and eased himself off the bed. It felt like he was getting ready for battle, ready to face whatever the enemy had to throw at him. 

But who really was the enemy here? 

His own fear? His own distress? 

His _people_ ’s distress?

The thought of it made him sick. 

_The election. That must be what it’s about_ , Alfred thought as he followed Matthew out of the guest bedroom. He didn’t even bother to rearrange the rumpled sheets. 

_It’s America’s choice. It’s America’s choice. It’s America’s choice._

_Whatever happens, happens. It’s a choice to make. My choice. Their choice._

_Things might change… but there’s nothing I can do about it._

Once he reached the living room, Alfred didn’t even bother to take a seat on the couch, despite the fact that his legs were shaking like a leaf in the middle of a hurricane. 

Matthew reached for the remote on the coffee table, his hands quivering in a similar way. 

_That’s weird. What does he have to be worried about? This is American politics._

Alfred remembered what Arthur had told him many years ago. 

_American politics is practically world politics._

He was one of the largest superpowers on the global stage, along with Russia. Every decision the government made, whether it be good or bad, was scrutinized carefully. Especially when it came down to something as monumental as an election. 

An election during a pandemic, on top of that. 

Matthew gave Alfred an odd glance, then held out the remote towards him. It was an insignificant act, just turning on the television. But what certainly was significant was what he might find once the television was on. 

Alfred didn’t want to. He had wasted so much stress over this election, as was the custom. The outcome would have an impact on his citizens. Was it going to be a _good_ impact?

The only way to truly find out the answer to that was to take the remote and see for himself. 

Alfred extended his own hand and accepted the remote warily as if it was an unknown biological specimen. His index finger hovered over the power button, marked in bright green. 

Was he just being dramatic? It was only four years, after all. 

No; four years really could make all the difference. Under the right leadership, America would be able to pick itself up from the economic downturn as a result of the pandemic. But under the wrong leadership, well…

Who knows what could happen?

“America.”

Alfred turned his attention to Matthew, who looked oddly solemn. Did he know? Surely he knew the results. 

_That would only mean—_

“I know you’re scared. I get it. This is super important for you,” Matthew said. “Right now, you need to be America. America’s strong, right? America’s the hero, right?”

“Yeah. America’s—” Alfred caught himself just in time. “I’m the hero.” He didn’t make the declaration with as much zeal as he normally would. But somehow, that just made it even more convincing. 

He may have been “just Alfred” yesterday when he was on the phone with Arthur. But now, he was a nation. The United States of America. One of the world’s superpowers. Someone that powerful would surely be brave enough to turn on the television, right?

_Right?_

A spark of courage flickered in his heart, soon growing to a blazing flame. 

Alfred wasn’t a child. He needed to face the facts; sticking his head in the sand like an Ostrich and ignoring all potential problems would do no good in the long run. 

Alfred tightened his hold on the remote, noticing his knuckles whiten at the pressure. 

He pressed the button. 

The television turned on almost immediately, displaying a random news station. The lady from the previous night with red lipstick now was wearing white. 

“And, there we have it, ladies and gentlemen. The first to reach 290 electoral votes is Joe Biden; our soon-to-be president!” The lady pointed to the map coloured in red and blue and displayed a tight-lipped smile. 

“Now, now, Stephanie, there’s still a district in Georgia that hasn’t been counted yet! Although, if I’m being completely honest, the chances of one county having much of an effect on the standings of this race are pretty slim,” said the other news anchor, this one being a man with graying hair. 

“Of course, Harold. Moving on to our Senate, we’re receiving updates that the Republican Party has the majority of the seats down, leading on a 48 to 46.”

Alfred didn’t pay too much attention to what the anchors were predicting about the final turnout for the House and Senate. All he could really hear were those few words:

**_Joe Biden; our soon-to-be president._ **

**_Our soon-to-be president._ **

**_Our president._ **

The race was done. For the most part, anyway. There were recounts going on Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Most of them were swings. 

Even so, it would take a miracle for the recounts to show any significant difference in the final tally. 

It was over. But, at the same time, it was far from over. 

Alfred really didn’t know how to feel. 

_Maybe we can start fresh with a new administration. New future. New reforms. New hope._

“America?” Matthew received no response. He tried again. 

“Alfred?”

Alfred blinked a couple of times and nodded. “Yeah. It’s over, Matt. Now that it’s all been said and done… I feel like I just want to be Alfred again.” 

Matthew smiled. “Makes sense. I, uh, was making pancakes… they might be kind of cold by now, though.”

Alfred gave him a wide grin in response. Normally after going through such an experience, one would have lost their appetite. However, he felt like he could eat a horse. “Awesome, dude!”

Matthew left the living room and entered the kitchen.

The feeling of something incredibly important happening was odd. It was almost anti-climactic, in a way. Alfred felt the same as he always did, but with the added ember of hope building inside his heart. 

He knew what that meant. Alfred represented his people. If his people were nervous, he was nervous. If his people were hurting, he was hurting.

And most importantly,

If his people had hope, then he had hope. 

Suddenly, the Star-Spangled Banner began to play. It was his ringtone, naturally. 

Alfred ran to get his phone (which was still in the bedroom) and checked to see who was calling. 

_England._

_No. Not England. Just Arthur._

He answered the call. 

“Alfred? Have you seen the results? Are you doing alright?” Arthur bombarded him with questions, too concerned to keep up with his tsundere front. 

“Yeah. Looks like we’re going blue for the next four years!” 

Arthur _tsk_ ed at Alfred’s immaturity but was secretly glad that the American wasn’t in a bad place emotionally. 

“So it seems,” Arthur remarked casually. “Then… do you know what’s going to happen next?”

Alfred thought for a few moments. _Did_ he know what was going to happen? 

“Nah. But, y’know, Artie…” He smiled to himself. “Whatever happens, happens.”


	3. NOTE (Please read)

So, I've written another story that could serve as another chapter/part of this one. This one's centered around America and Canada and New Year's 2021. It'd be nice if you could check it out :)

[https://archiveofourown.org/works/28472541 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28472541)


	4. Capitol Hill Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> America speaks over the phone with Canada about the civil unrest at Capitol Hill.

"Gosh, Matt, I... I don't even know, anymore."

Alfred stared at the T.V., watching as images of violence flickered across the screen. He felt a wave of nausea crash over him; giving a familiar sensation to one he experienced back in November. 

He thought the election was over. He thought it was all over. 

It wasn't. Although November 7th, 2020 had passed and Biden's victory was announced, the citizens of the United States over America hadn't moved on. 

They were doing a recount of the votes in order, (upon the current president's request,) and Georgia especially was taking longer than everyone expected to come to a conslusive result. In the November election, neither of the two candidates had gained more than 50% of the total vote; thus requiring a runoff election to occur in 2021. 

Unfortunately, things didn't run too smoothly. (But, then again, when _did_ elections operate flawlessly in the U.S.?)

To put it simply, a mob of Trump supporters stormed and raided Capitol Hill, a prominent residential neighborhood in the Washington D.C. area, because Congress was set to confirm Joe Biden's election win. Many people presumed that this occured due to Trump's spread of false information, claiming that he won the electoral vote when he actually did not. 

Currently, Alfred was watching the news coverage of the occurence and talking with his twin brother over the phone, all from the safety of his own home. 

Which, incidentally, wasn't very safe at all, because Alfred _lived_ in Capitol Hill; along with members of the Senate and House. 

He was scared. Really, _really,_ scared. To think that so much destruction and fighting and raw _hatred_ was budding practically right outside his door was... frightening, to say the least. 

Not only was Alfred already high-strung due the ongoing rioting; he was also ashamed, to some extent. 

He loved his citizens. They were, figuatively, what _made_ him. Without Americans, there would be no America. 

But when his citizens did things like _this..._

_Violent things. Destructive things. Brutal things._

Alfred knew that the primary root of all these things was the current unrest within the political climate. While he would like to think of the United States of America as, well, _united,_ he was aware that his citizens were quite divided when it came to politics.

The battle between Blue and Red was a harsh and unforgiving one, that was for sure.

And some of the more strong-minded people were more than willing to do whatever it took to get there point across. 

Now, as it appeared, violence wasn't out of the question to these people. 

Alfred knew the entire Bill of Rights by heart, and he was certain that _whatever_ was going on in Capitol Hill was not justifiable by the First Amendment. 

_**Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.** _

_Peaceably._

_This isn't peaceful. Not by any stretch of imagination._

" _Mon Dieu_ , Al," Matthew said from the other end of the phone after a pause. "This isn't... you aren't safe, there."

"N-nah, I'll be fine," Alfred insisted, lacking any sort of conviction. "There's a curfew and stuff. I'm safe." 

_Or at least I hope._

"Somehow I doubt that," Matthew responded. "But... I guess you can't really leave your house, now, so..."

"Yep. I can't hop the border," Alfred affirmed with a humourless laugh. 

2021 was supposed to be better. 

_The way things are looking now, nothing has changed._

Alfred swallowed thickly; the American flag he had stapled to the wall reminding him that there were more things to worry about. 

And what was to come on January 20th, 2021... 

He had a feeling that _certain_ groups wouldn't take it well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually happening right now in the U.S., as of Wednesday, January 6th, 2021 in Capitol Hill. I decided to tie it in with this fic about the 2020 Election as it has something to do with it.   
> I implore you to take a closer look into the situation. Here's a source:  
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/06/dc-protests-trump-rally-live-updates/  
> Again, I tried staying as politically neutral as I could (which was, frankly, much more difficult for this chapter.) As stated in the story, many Americans are pretty opinionated about politics.   
> There's a little teaser at the end alluding to the date January 20th. That's Biden's inauguration date.   
> And, I may or may not write something about that, too...


	5. America United: Political Parade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There was a choice to make.  
>  America made it.   
> There was a chance to take.   
> America took it. _
> 
> _And, now, it was time to look forward._

_It's official now, isn't it?_

Joe Biden had just been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States; a new administration had begun. This inauguration day was crucial: the passing of power from one to another was an event that _demanded_ attention, no matter where you lied on the political spectrum. 

The previous president had already bid his farewell and left for Florida, turning down the invitation to attend the ceremony. 

"What did you think?" Canada asked.

"What do you mean?" 

"His speech." 

_Oh._

Biden's speech took a very hopeful approach, which seemed to be the right approach considering how optimism tended to earn the appeal of most Americans. Kamala Harris also made history as being the first female, Asian-American, and African-American vice president of the United States. People claimed that the 2021 Inauguration Ceremony marked a major changing point, and how the event was able to take place despite the protesting of certain far-right groups. 

"I mean..." America stared down Pennsylvania avenue, the words not coming out of his mouth as smoothly as he would have hoped. "It was nice to hear. I really hope he's able to make things happen, you know?" 

Canada nodded. "Yeah." 

The 2021 Inauguration Parade was going to be a little different than those of the past. Due to health concerns, there would be no large crowds gathering in D.C. to watch the event in-person. In fact, after the chaos at Capitol Hill and threats of violence, traveling to the area was unadvised altogether. 

But, of course, America was America. He _needed_ to be there. 

As for Canada, well... 

Moral support was necessary, especially in such unpredictable times. 

The theme for the inauguration was supposed to be "America United," a concept reflecting on the beginning of a new national journey to restore the soul of America, bring the country together, and create a path to a brighter future, according to the Presidential Inauguration Committee. 

It was pleasing to think about. The idea that the United States of America could, in fact, actually be _United._ Like it was supposed to be. 

**There was a choice to make.**

**America made it.**

**There was a chance to take.**

**America took it.**

And, now, it was time to look forward. 

_Maybe, we can start to rebuild,_ America thought. 

_Maybe, we can start to heal. It won't be easy, but..._

_With America United, I'm sure we can do it._

_We **will** do it. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this was so short, the actual inauguration happened smack in the middle of the school day and I didn't have too much time to prepare.   
> I also apologize if I let the political neutrality slip just a little. I couldn't maintain a political stance, so I opted for the more "hopeful" sort of tone that you tend to see in a lot of these chapters.   
> Another thing: take note that even though this fic is marked as "complete," it is NOT. This story will continue as long as America continues to exist (because we all know there's A LOT happening in the U.S. these days.) Because the events in this story correlate to events in real life, if something of note happens in the American political sphere, you can bet that I'll write something about it. I cannot, however, determine _when_ exactly these things happen. They kind of just... happen.   
> On a different note, I was debating on whether or not I should write about some European political affairs, as well. It might be different, considering that I live in the U.S., but I'd love to broaden my lens more.   
> Would stuff like the whole Brexit situation might be more engaging to read about through Britain's perspective? The only thing is, I don't know whether people would be interested lol.   
> If you have any opinions/ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments below! I'd like to hear from you!


	6. Call to Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Diplomacy, eh?_
> 
> _At this point, the entire world’s just one huge game of apocalypse bingo,_ he mused. _And we’re being forced to play._

“Later today I’m going to go up on the eighth floor and send a clear message to the world,” Biden said. “America is back. Diplomacy is back.” 

_Diplomacy._

The word echoed in Alfred’s mind about a thousand times. 

It’d been a while since he’d heard it. After all, the previous administration had a clear ‘America First’ policy in place. However, the same could not be said about the current administration. 

A roar of applause could be heard after that remark. Alfred even noticed those sitting next to him (though that term should be used rather loosely considering the strict social distancing rules enforced) cheering a little. 

A lot had happened since Inauguration day. 

Many of the former president’s policies were being rolled back— like the issue of asylum and regional migration, for example. On February 2nd, Biden had issued three executive orders dealing with asylum at the U.S-Mexico border, legal immigration, and reuniting families. 

Alfred tended to stay neutral when it came to his bosses— his people didn’t share a common and consistent political belief, so neither did he. (Frankly, he’d never found himself growing attached to any of the previous forty-five presidents that had graced the Oval Office.)

 _Well,_ **_maybe_ ** _Washington._

A fond smile found its way onto his face at the recollection of his very first boss, though no one could see it under his mask. 

Though, despite it all, Alfred couldn’t help but appreciate the prioritization of immigration reform. His relationship with Mexico was precarious, at best. 

And downright bitter, at worst. 

_We really ‘ought to patch things up with Mexico, huh?_

Hopefully, the suspension of the construction of a border wall along the Rio Grande would help with that. 

But besides Mexico, Alfred was interested to know how Biden was going to handle foreign affairs. 

_Tactfully, I hope._

Alfred knew better than to hope for a miracle— as much as it’d be nice to have an Era of Good Feelings 2.0, the idea seemed more than just a little unrealistic, especially with so much _divide._

Diversity, equity, and inclusion— all things Biden stated he wanted to promote. 

Though, as the United States of America, Alfred knew firsthand that it would take work. 

_And a shit-ton of it._

Unfortunately enough, most of that work fell onto Alfred’s shoulders. 

Besides being _literal personifications of countries,_ they were really just diplomats. Alfred, Arthur, Francis, Matthew, Ivan, Yao, Kiku, Ludwig, Feliciano— all of them. 

Because, apparently, ‘country’ doesn’t count as a legitimate occupation. 

“When we strengthen our alliances, we amplify our power as well as our ability to disrupt threats before they reach our shores,” Biden stated. “America cannot afford to be absent any longer on the world stage.”

 _This is gonna need a lot of negotiation,_ Alfred thought as he drummed his fingers against the armrest. The rest of Biden’s speech was just playing in the background, save for a few bolder assertions, and the realization that ‘ _oh god Britain’s totally going to lecture me about not paying attention later’_ didn’t faze him as much as it should have. 

_I mean… this is a pretty important speech…_

Alfred recalled Arthur’s long-winded ramble about Brexit over the phone from the previous week. 

_But Artie’s got his own shit to deal with, too._

_Well… I’m glad I don’t have to worry about getting nuked…_

_For now, anyway._

The S.T.A.R.T. treaty made between the U.S. and Russia restricting the use of nuclear weapons would’ve expired by now, but it was renewed just in time. 

_That’s a relief._

Alfred leaned back in his seat, trying his best to listen to the rest of the speech. 

Still, his mind wandered. 

He thought about America. 

He thought about the world. 

He thought about every single alliance that was just _itching_ to be made— every single problem that was just _aching_ to be resolved—

But, how was he supposed to resolve them? 

_Easy!_

Alfred smiled to himself once more. 

_Diplomacy._

* * *

Matthew Williams wanted to hit himself over the head with a hockey stick. 

Or, perhaps, drown himself in maple syrup. 

_Either works._

_Diplomacy, eh?_

_At this point, the entire world’s just one huge game of apocalypse bingo_ , he mused. _And we’re being forced to play._

His iPhone screen dimmed, threatening to lock. Matthew tapped twice, not about to let that happen.

Sometimes he wished he was just a normal human— an ordinary young man unburdened with hundreds of years’ worth of stress. 

_Maybe if I wasn’t Canada, I wouldn’t have to be so diplomatic all the time._

Matthew continued to stare at the screen, his violet eyes squinting behind prescription lenses. 

“In the wake of Alexei Navalny’s arrest, Russian opposition politician @vkaramurza says it’s time for countries like Canada to use targeted sanctions against those surrounding Vladimir Putin, by using the Magnitsky law.” 

He didn’t know that a single tweet could hold such weight. Not until now, that is. 

_It’s a call to action._

Matthew was aware of the situation happening in Russia with Navalny’s detainment and subsequent protests. 

It’d been a while since he’d talked with Ivan ever since the start of the pandemic. 

With all the chaos in America, Matthew hoped that there wouldn’t be any more to worry about. 

_Apparently not._

A small headache was beginning to form right above his left eyebrow.

_Sanctions._

The word felt like poison. 

Matthew—Canada—was no stranger to the use of embargos. He’d used them against Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Libya…

But somehow, Matthew felt a strong aversion to the idea of having to add another country to that list. 

_Even if it is necessary, I…_

_I really wish there was a better way._

_A more… peaceful way._

He sighed. 

_But that’s not really how the world works._

He rubbed his temples, hoping to get some relief from all the constant stress. 

_I could use a break, right about now._

Matthew got up from his office chair, making his way to the living room. He wanted nothing more than to flop onto the couch and take a long nap. 

And then, his phone rang, throwing a wrench in his plans. 

Matthew grumbled to himself, mumbling swears in French that he wouldn’t dare use in public. He checked the caller ID.

 _France…?_

He pressed ‘accept call.’

“Francis?”

“ _Ecoutez._ ”

“...what?”

“ _Poison_ ,” France said, his voice almost a whisper. “He was poisoned.” 

“Who? What do you—”

“Navalny.”

Matthew blinked, still in confusion. 

“But I thought he was just being detained…”

“ _Non._ They put poison in his tea, _Mathieu_. Germany said so.” 

_Resistance, poison, protests…_

Matthew felt a little nauseous. 

_Mon Dieu._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you see me dipping my toe into the ocean of foreign affairs.   
> **So, how did I do?**  
>  You can watch/read about Biden's address here:  
> https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/04/watch-live-biden-gives-first-remarks-on-foreign-policy-and-national-security-at-state-department.html  
> (By the way, I actually pulled some lines from Biden's speech and put them in this chapter. I tried to make it as accurate as possible.)  
> As for the whole situation in Russia, well...  
> You may be able to tell where I stand.  
>  **Still, I implore you to learn about this case for yourself:** https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-navalny-court-1.5897347  
> The whole purpose of this fic is basically to inform people of current events and POVs in the best way I know how. I don't have any malicious intent, I don't intend to make everything about politics or persuade certain beliefs, I'm just trying to use this outlet to re-tell these occurrences from different points of view.  
> Thank you so much for reading! **Please review/comment, it really helps!**  
>  Also, if you'd like me to do a continuation of any of the events discussed in this chapter as more information is released, please let me know!


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